Strike Fighter ConsultingSTRIKE FIGHTER CONSULTING (SFC) is a military consulting company that delivers the warfighter to the customer by providing current and diverse expertise to Department of Defense (DOD) Industry.2018-03-14T11:49:48Zhttp://strikefighterconsultinginc.com/feed/atom/WordPressadminhttp://strikefighterconsultinginc.com/?p=48872014-01-07T23:24:58Z2014-01-07T23:24:58ZWhile Congress begins deliberations to extend federal funding for the unemployed, the ink is already dry on a newly signed budget that carves funding from pensions for U.S. military retirees and U.S. military disabled retirees. The budget was approved by … Continue reading →

]]>While Congress begins deliberations to extend federal funding for the unemployed, the ink is already dry on a newly signed budget that carves funding from pensions for U.S. military retirees and U.S. military disabled retirees. The budget was approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate and provides a percentage reduction in military pension cost-of-living increases for military retirees less than 62 years of age. The plan was crafted by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray (D., Wash.) and recently signed by President Barrack Obama.

The plan itself is intended to produce $6 billion in savings over ten years by taking earned pensions from U.S. military members. With over 12 years of constant overseas battles in the War on Terrorism, military members will be welcomed home with a reduction in their retirement pensions. Constant deployments, continuous training cycles, and time away from loved ones for months and sometimes years with an understanding that if they can survive all the hardships, buy antibiotics online from mexico they will be rewarded with a modest pension after twenty years of service, but after Congress and the President signed the new budget act that will now be reduced.

With a President who has never served in the military and a Congress with the lowest number of military veterans amongst its membership in decades, it’s not surprising that military pensions would become a bartering item for reducing costs. The savings will actually be miniscule compared to the overall defense budget and the overall federal budget but the message sent to the military will be powerful. Serve your country, go to war when Congress deems it necessary, become a casualty, lose a limb and risk loss of life and in return we will reward you with a reduced pension. The message to sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines is very loud and clear and with an all-volunteer military that includes disabled American warfighters, the budgetary games are appalling.

]]>0adminhttp://strikefighterconsultinginc.com/?p=48782013-12-12T17:33:06Z2013-12-12T17:33:06ZIt’s always been considered that the best surveillance device is one that is unseen and unheard and the Robo order diazepam 10mg Raven certainly fits the bill. The Robo Raven is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that was designed to … Continue reading →

]]>It’s always been considered that the best surveillance device is one that is unseen and unheard and the Robo order diazepam 10mg Raven certainly fits the bill. The Robo Raven is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that was designed to look like a bird and produce minimal sound. The robotic bird created by U.S. Army researchers, is approximately the same size as a winged bird with wings that flutter and is maneuvered via a remote control device.

“You can look right at it and be fooled, “ said John Gerdes, a mechanical engineer with the Army Research Laboratory Vehicle Technology Directorate at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. “Once it goes more than 20 feet in the air, the motors are so quiet; it’s indistinguishable from an animal.” The Robo Raven can mimic a bird to a point that attacks from birds of prey are a common concern and there have been numerous attacks by hawks during initial test flights.

The Robo Raven is intended to be used as a surveillance platform that can deliver critical intelligence to its operators while being virtually unnoticeable due to its ability to blend in to its surroundings. The Robo Raven has fan-shaped wings and hollow rods that comprise the fuselage. The wings flap independently of one another allowing it to perform complex maneuvers such as backflips, tight turns and dives. The Robo Raven is launched by hand and is piloted via a hand-held radio that controls a microcomputer inside the bird and fairly simple commands are translated into complex movements.

Test flights with a wireless camera have been hampered by a video feed that is difficult to read due to the instability of the movement of the Robo Raven. Also, the flight endurance of the Robo Raven is somewhat limited due to its small size and its high power requirements caused by its high energy flight movement but scientists are hopeful that improvements in solar cell technology will allow for the wings to be made of material that will allow for aerodynamic functionality and solar energy consumption.

The Robo Raven has proven fundamental capability to become a first rate covert surveillance platform and with a few improvements could quickly become the UAV of choice for clandestine operations when surveillance is required.

]]>0adminhttp://strikefighterconsultinginc.com/?p=48692013-11-28T00:27:37Z2013-11-28T00:27:37ZBuilding a better mousetrap is always welcome in today’s competitive world of military technology and developing alternatives to GPS, or Global Positioning System is certainly ripe for exploration. GPS is a technology that is based upon highly accurate position keeping … Continue reading →

With this vulnerability in mind, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has been working on improving the inertial measurement units (IMUs) that were in vogue prior to the development of GPS. IMUs provide three gyroscopes and three accelerometers to gauge direction and changes in velocity to be used for navigation purposes. If an IMU system is given an initial starting point the mechanisms can be used to provide relative movement data to tell where it is. Unfortunately, IMUs in missiles were only accurate for approximately 20 seconds but with safe to buy antibiotics online assistance from DARPA it looks like IMU technology may be advancing so if a GPS receiver is jammed the IMU could serve as the backup position keeping source.

The advancements in IMU technology uses semiconductor technology that can now provide over three minutes of accurate position keeping for missiles and efforts are underway that will take advantage of Larmor frequencies of atoms to detect motion changes over a greater period of time. The downside of atomic measurements is that they don’t react very well to sudden movements but IMUs do not have the same problem, so the vision is to combine the two technologies as a suitable backup for GPS systems. The thought is that if there are significant differences between the position reported by the GPS and the position derived from the IMU/atomic measuring device, then jamming will be suspected and the backup position reporting will take over the navigation of the missile.

With any new technology there are bound to be some vulnerabilities and GPS is no exception but with a viable backup system that can provide similar accuracies, the U.S. missile inventory should be just as lethal and immune to adversary attempts to undermine U.S. firepower.

]]>0adminhttp://strikefighterconsultinginc.com/?p=48602013-11-27T00:07:23Z2013-11-27T00:07:23ZWith the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) development and production well underway, the next big prize in the world of aircraft competitions between defense companies is the Long Range Strike Bomber. The Long Range Strike Bomber is an Air Force program … Continue reading →

]]>With the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) development and production well underway, the next big prize in the world of aircraft competitions between defense companies is the Long Range Strike Bomber. The Long Range Strike Bomber is an Air Force program that is intended to be the next generation bomber that will enter service in the mid-2020’s and is expected to cost approximately $500 million.

The Long Range Strike Bomber competition will pit a team of Boeing and Lockheed Martin versus Northrop Grumman. Boeing and Lockheed Martin have bomber experience and Lockheed Martin is the prime on the JSF program. Northrop Grumman has experience with the B-2 Spirit long range bomber program and certainly looks like the front-runner in the competition with a long standing tradition of long range bomber development and experience with stealth technologies.

For Northrop Grumman, which is reeling from the reduction of Global Hawk purchases and a failure to secure a prime position on more recent aircraft competitions, the need for a win with the Long Range Strike Bomber is even more important. Northrop Grumman has been forced to reduce its workforce and is seeing a steady decline in work orders but is fully committed to putting forth every effort possible to secure the Long Range Strike Bomber aircraft competition.

The Long Range Strike Bomber competition will be hotly contested by the three largest defense companies in the world and could provide a lifeline to renewed prosperity for Northrop Grumman or a win by the Boeing-Lockheed Martin team could mean that the two companies will dominate all Air Force systems over the next three decades. May the best aircraft win.

]]>0adminhttp://strikefighterconsultinginc.com/?p=45752013-11-04T19:41:35Z2013-10-30T23:30:45ZTwo weeks ago, President Barack Obama and Congress agreed to raise the debt ceiling once again to give leadership another two months to postpone setting a budget that will set the course for America on the path of financial stability … Continue reading →

]]>Two weeks ago, President Barack Obama and Congress agreed to raise the debt ceiling once again to give leadership another two months to postpone setting a budget that will set the course for America on the path of financial stability instead of one of fiscal indecision. Government shutdowns and government furloughs are becoming almost commonplace nowadays as Congress and the President use the budget and ultimately, the jobs of hundreds of thousands of government workers as leverage for passing their respective budgets.

The impact on the defense industry is very significant. With a budget that is anything but clear, it’s entirely difficult for Pentagon defense planners to exercise any long term cost expenditures and long lead development projects with an “on and off budget strategy” currently being used by Congress. Developing clear targets and spending strategies allows for contractors to build their workforce strategies, purchase materials and gain efficiencies in a production line that is not in constant fear of being off-line due to budget streams that suddenly dry up. In most cases the stoppage in work and inability to purchase order cialis no prescription long lead items forces industry to produce less and increases costs which are passed along to the government, in effect costing the government more and receiving less.

The inability to resolve political differences and produce a budget has ripple effects that are often unseen by politicians. The effects to military industry do not have a direct impact on the warfighters today but the long term effects of financial indecision will have an impact on military operations as military hardware is delayed and increased costs create less material for the end-user. It was a noble gesture to keep all funding for military personnel intact but the far reaching effects will impact military personnel well into the future.

While the Pentagon scrambles to adjust budgets based upon every political development and roadblock, it’s clear that all they want is enough certainty and stability so they can plan wisely for the next conflict. It’s time for the public to exert pressure on politicians that are “playing chicken” with the nation’s finances and resolve to complete the budget once and for all.

]]>0adminhttp://strikefighterconsultinginc.com/?p=40362013-11-04T19:44:01Z2013-10-04T22:42:53ZChina currently has one aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, which was purchased from Russia and is being converted into an operational aircraft carrier. Perhaps the Russians knew what they were doing when they sold the Liaoning to the Chinese as the … Continue reading →

]]>China currently has one aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, which was purchased from Russia and is being converted into an operational aircraft carrier. Perhaps the Russians knew what they were doing when they sold the Liaoning to the Chinese as the Chinese are now discovering that ski-jump aircraft purchase cialis carriers have limitations regarding how much ordnance can be loaded on an aircraft when launched.

The weight restriction issue is caused by a minimum airspeed requirement for flight from an aircraft carrier. Ski-jump aircraft carriers generate their airspeed from the run-up distance on the deck of the aircraft carrier and an assist from the ski-jump while catapult aircraft carriers use a steam piston system that accelerates a shuttle attached to the aircraft to produce a much higher end speed. Because the weight of the aircraft impacts the end speed, the higher the weight of the aircraft the less end speed can be generated. For example, the J-15 when launched from the Liaoning can only carry 4,000 pounds of ordnance before it reaches its minimum airspeed requirement, conversely, the FA-18E/F Super Hornet can carry over 12,000 pounds of ordnance on a catapult aircraft carrier. The large differences between the two aircraft carriers can certainly have impacts to tactical considerations for mission planning and sortie generation rates.

The Liaoning represents a significant leap in capability for the Chinese Navy and although it has some limitations regarding aircraft weight restrictions, the Chinese are actively building more carriers and it’s a good bet that they’ll take their lessons learned from the Liaoning and develop a shuttle based catapult system. The significance of the Chinese entry into carrier aviation is that they have the industrial might, technological base, engineering support and revenue to eventually rival any fleet in the world.

]]>0adminhttp://strikefighterconsultinginc.com/?p=40242013-11-04T19:46:37Z2013-10-04T00:17:16ZThe date was 28 April 1944; the skies were dark on a moonless night and eight Landing Ship, Tank (LSTs) were filled with sailors and soldiers off the coast of England preparing for the largest training event ever organized in … Continue reading →

]]>The date was 28 April 1944; the skies were dark on a moonless night and eight Landing Ship, Tank (LSTs) were filled with sailors and soldiers off the coast of England preparing for the largest training event ever organized in preparation for an upcoming invasion on the beaches of Normandy. Exercise Tiger, as the training evolution was called and its eventual loss of 749 American lives has been called a D-Day cover-up by some or was it a training tragedy that was initially buried by American Generals to protect the plans for the Normandy invasion.

With every large force training exercise there is a certain amount of risk but conducting a training exercise within reach of enemy forces can certainly add a whole new level of risk. After the 4th Division Infantry forces disembarked on the English beaches the plan was for support soldiers and sailors to continue the “invasion” by using the LSTs to complete the training evolution just like they would do during the actual invasion. After receiving significant chatter on radios via passive detection systems, German torpedo boats slipped thru an English picket and launched multiple torpedoes against three LST ships. Of the three hit by torpedoes, one was able to limp to port while another was engulfed in fire and the third was hit so severely buy antibiotics no rx that it sunk within six minutes. Many of the soldiers and sailors were killed instantly and others endured the wounds of the fire or were stuck beneath the decks as the vessels sunk to the bottom of the English Channel. Although a rescue attempt was launched, many drowned immediately or became incapacitated due to hypothermia from the frigid waters.

Of the 749 lives lost off the shore of Slapton Sands, ten individuals had detailed knowledge of the upcoming invasion of Normandy and all efforts were expended to insure the bodies of all ten were accounted for due to concerns that they had fallen into German hands and the potential that the upcoming landing would be compromised. With the upcoming invasion close at hand, General Eisenhower chose to keep the press from the tragedy until after the invasion.

]]>0adminhttp://strikefighterconsultinginc.com/?p=40092013-11-04T19:54:34Z2013-10-02T22:48:25ZOn Monday night, President Barack Obama and Congress failed to come to an agreement on a budget which has caused the furlough of over 800,000 government workers. The government shutdown is becoming almost commonplace nowadays as Congress and the President … Continue reading →

]]>On Monday night, President Barack Obama and Congress failed to come to an agreement on a budget which has caused the furlough of over 800,000 government workers. The government shutdown is becoming almost commonplace nowadays as Congress and the President use the budget and ultimately, the jobs of hundreds of thousands of government workers as leverage for passing their respective budgets as they point the “blame finger” to the other side of the aisle for causing the furlough.

Government shutdowns are becoming a common occurrence for government workers as this constitutes the second furlough event for 2013. Sequestration claimed many days of government furlough just three months back and failing to sign a budget has once again sent government workers home without pay. With an annual budget needing to be signed every year by the 1st of October to obligate funds to keep the government running, it’s interesting that once again, Congress and the President have failed to plan early enough to have a budget signed in time.

Understanding that politics is a dirty game goes without saying but while Congress salaries are guaranteed as “essential” workers, the remainder of government workers are furloughed without pay. One has to wonder if Congress and the President would be more motivated to resolve the budget buy valium us pharmacy crisis if their own livelihoods were impacted. Perhaps to incentivize the politicians, a “no-salary for no-budget” bill could be signed that would zero all salaries until a compromise is achieved. Although promising, the likelihood of “no-salary for no-budget” bill being signed by the same politicians is very unlikely but instead the same sacrifices are being asked of over 800,000 hard working government workers.

The benefits of working for the government are becoming few and far between. Working for a greater good with a healthy dose of patriotism has always been a calling for many government workers and the advantage of “job security” has always been an added benefit but given current events, many are beginning to question the job security and more importantly, a lack of confidence in leadership. It’s a difficult pill to swallow for government workers to be asked to give up their salaries so politician leadership can barter with their jobs for their own agendas with no similar sacrifices being made. One of the key facets of leadership is taking care of the people that work for you and if your people are making sacrifices, make sure you are suffering right along with them. This concept eludes the current leadership in Washington.

]]>0adminhttp://strikefighterconsultinginc.com/?p=39972013-11-04T20:01:43Z2013-09-24T19:09:10ZWith dwindling defense budgets in the U.S., defense manufacturers are actively seeking out Mideast Foreign Military Sales (FMS) as an alternative source for new business. As production lines cease building U.S. military equipment companies are looking to continue production by … Continue reading →

]]>With dwindling defense budgets in the U.S., defense manufacturers are actively seeking out Mideast Foreign Military Sales (FMS) as an alternative source for new business. As production lines cease building U.S. military equipment companies are looking to continue production by reaching out to FMS customers, specifically oil-rich Mideast countries that are looking to grow their militaries.

BAE is working with U.S. and Iraqi officials to sell 200 Bradley fighting vehicles to Baghdad over the next 15 months and it’s expected that Saudi Arabia will buy numerous Bradleys in 2015. The potential sales will be welcome news for BAE as the company has had to reduce its staff from 650 employees down to 335 in its Michigan facility and the purchase would increase production line activity and possibly support the rehiring of employees.

Likewise, Boeing is aligned to sell their CH-47 Chinook helicopters to Libya, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the coming years. Negotiations are underway between U.S. officials and the three countries to purchase at least 54 Chinooks. Libyan officials are looking to purchase six CH-47D models and 16 CH-47F models while Saudi Arabia is looking to field at least 24 CH-47Fs. In addition, order cialis online pharmacy Qatar is interested in purchasing eight CH-47F Chinooks and also looking to purchase either the Boeing F-15 Eagle or potentially the FA-18E/F Super Hornet. Also, the U.S. announced on 26 August 2012 a deal of $500 million to sell eight Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopters to Indonesia and an additional deal to purchase 24 F-16C/D aircraft from Lockheed Martin.

Mideast Foreign Military Sales have been on the rise since domestic spending has been on the decline and manufacturers continue to fight to keep their production lines open. Keeping production lines open for high technology equipment is essential for a company to be successful and profitable as stopping a line forces companies to either mothball the line while waiting for new customers or disassemble the line if no new customers materialize, both options cost money in infrastructure costs as well as in personnel costs. To keep lines open in a very competitive environment, the U.S. military industry is being forced to seek out greener pastures for new business and the Mideast provides a source that is both willing and fiscally capable of purchasing new military hardware.

]]>0adminhttp://strikefighterconsultinginc.com/?p=39852013-11-04T20:00:09Z2013-09-23T14:32:27ZIntelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms have been increasing by leaps and bounds over the past decade and with UAVs, satellites and data collection aircraft all contributing to the collection of intelligence its now officially too much data for the … Continue reading →

]]>Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms have been increasing by leaps and bounds over the past decade and with UAVs, satellites and data collection aircraft all contributing to the collection of intelligence its now officially too much data for the human brain to decipher and an automated ISR solution is now being considered.

The demand for intelligence and situational awareness has been on the rise thanks to conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and theater commanders have an insatiable thirst for more intelligence. Knowing the battlefield and knowing everything about your enemy is crucial to the success of any mission and theater commanders understand this concept. With high technology devices such as UAVs, satellites and Rivet Joint aircraft at their disposal, theater commanders are asking for more pictures, videos and sensors to help but unfortunately the volumes of intelligence available has bypassed the capacity of humans to process the information in a timely fashion.

Intelligence specialists and analysis cannot possibly keep up with the volume of data that comes streaming into collection centers and they are now the weakest link in the process. With this in mind, Mica Endsley, the Air Force’s Chief Scientist has said, “For me, the bigger buy diazepam no prescription bandwidth challenge is bandwidth from the system to the human, and how we really optimize that more effectively.”

Contractors and military research facilities are now being challenged to provide an automated ISR solution. One such vision would be to set certain triggers that would highlight the analysts to focus on certain portions of the data instead of trying to focus on the entirety. For example, computer programs could be designed to alert analysts for closer examination if a human walked into a building that was under observation or maybe any time a vehicle under observation was moved. This concept would lessen the manpower required for analysis efforts as well as focus the analysts to events that held the highest probability of significant intelligence.

Current, actionable intelligence on the battlefield is absolutely essential to reaching military objectives and after theater commanders’ pleas for “more intelligence” were answered, the problem then became “too much intelligence” for humans to absorb. Today, the “too much intelligence” issue is still a problem but with automated ISR algorithms to sort and focus the attention of military analysts, the human may no longer be the bottleneck to the flow of information.